A27058:533
The true history of councils enlarged and defended against the deceits of a pretended…
The true history of councils enlarged and defended against the deceits of a pretended vindicator of the primitive church, but indeed of the tympanite & tyranny of some prelates many hundred years after Christ, with a detection of the false history of Edward Lord Bishop of Cork and Ross in Ireland ... and a preface abbreviating much of Ludolphus's History of Habassta : written to show their dangerous error, who think that a general council, or college of bishops, is a supreme governor of all the Christian world ... / by Richard Baxter ... ; to which is added by another hand, a defence of a book, entitled, No evidence for diocesan churches ...The true history of councils enlarged and defended against the deceits of a pretended vindicator of the primitive church, but indeed of the tympanite & tyranny of some prelates many hundred years after Christ, with a detection of the false history of Edward Lord Bishop of Corke and Rosse in Ireland ... and a preface abbreviating much of Ludolphus's History of Habassta : written to shew their dangerous errour, who think that a general council, or colledge of bishops, is a supream governour of all the Christian world ... / by Richard Baxter ... ; to which is added by another hand, a defence of a book, entituled, No evidence for diocesan churches ...
London: printed for Tho. Parkhurst, 1682
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
But saith he, [I pray where were the Presbyterians when the Parliament took up Arms: Were they not then in being?] Ans. An excellent Historian! that maintaineth Parliament and Army were such, as he knows not whether they were then in being. Yes Sir, they were in Holland, and France and Geneva, and Scotland▪ and in England there was one John Ball, and one Mr. Langley, and a few more such old Nonconformists that never were in Arms, and old John Dod, and one Mr. Geree that was against the war and dyed for grief of the Kings death: But among those called Puritans, few knew what Presbytery was, till the Scots afterward brought it in. Much less did Lords, Commons, and Army know it. In your sense Sir they were not then in being, and therefore could not fight.
It appears by Bancroft and others that there had been once Presbyterians in England: But they were dead, and few even of the few Nonconforming Ministers succeeded them in the Study of that point.
But saith he, [Were they none of them in the house] Ans. Yes, one [or did they protest against the proceedings of the Episcopal and Erastians? Ans. That one went with them. And Non entis non sunt accidentia.]